Putter insert

ABSTRACT

The present invention proposes a transparent insert (illustrated on attached drawings marked  3  on FIG.  3 ) with lines or other indicia printed or etched onto the upper surface of the insert (marked  1  on FIG.  3 ) and also onto the lower surface (marked  2  on FIG.  3 ) so that a three dimensional image is formed. The golfer by himself or with the help of a playing partner or a caddy can align the lines or indicia to achieve the desired putting stroke.

BACKGROUND

This invention relates to the game of golf. A golf putter is a specialized golf club that is usually only used on an area of a golf course referred to as the putting green. The putter is usually designed in such a way so as to impart a smooth stroke on the golf ball so that it rolls smoothly on the green to the golf hole. The golfer will still need to consider a number of important factors in order to impart a smooth and consistent stroke on the golf ball so that it follows the correct line to the golf bole and rolls smoothly. One of these factors is consistently striking of the golf ball from the middle or dead center of the putter head; also referred to as the sweet spot on the putter head. Accurate and consistent ball striking on a green with a putter is also dependant on the head and body positions of the golfer in relation to the putter head and the position of the golf ball on the putting green. Another factor to consider is the line along which a putt must be struck for the ball to drop into the hole called the target line. Some golfers are assisted by a person known as a ‘caddy’, who will carry the golf bag and generally assist the golfer with, for example, club selection, picking the correct target line on putting greens, putter head alignment, etc.

There are many different putters available in the marketplace designed to help golfers improve the putting stroke. Many conventional putters have a line marked in the middle of the top of the putter head and this corresponds to the rough location of the sweet spot on a putter head. A more recent innovation is the two ball putter where two white disks are marked on the top of a putter head and these are designed to help the golfer to strike the ball along the correct target line. Lines and other flat markings are geometrically defined as two dimensional objects and will give the golfer two dimensional feedback. The present invention proposes a transparent alignment aid (hereafter referred to as “insert”) with lines or other indicia printed or etched onto the upper surface of the insert and also onto the lower surface so that a three dimensional image is formed. The insert would make the present invention superior to existing putter head designs because it would give the golfer accurate three dimensional feedback.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated on the attached drawings by FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.

FIG. 1 Illustrates a short line marked on the top of the transparent insert.

FIG. 2 illustrates a long line marked on the bottom of the transparent insert.

FIG. 3 illustrates the transparent insert mounted on the back of a putter. The transparent insert is marked 3, the shaft of the putter is marked 6, the putter head is marked 5, the base of the putter is marked 7 and the height of the back of the putter is marked 4. Good putting is all to do with lines (alignment, putting line, eye-line, etc) and the preferred markings of choice are lines which are marked 1 and 2 on the transparent insert. When lines 1 and 2 are superimposed on each other a three dimensional image is formed which is defined as a parallax line.

STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention proposes a transparent insert (hereafter referred to as “insert”) with lines or other indicia printed or etched onto the upper surface of the insert and also onto the lower surface so that a three dimensional image is formed.

The present invention is illustrated on the attached drawings on page 9 by FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. Just 2 lines are used to illustrate the present invention although the principle could be applied to any number of lines or indicia. The insert is marked 3 which is supported on a base marked 7, the putter head is marked 5, and the putter shaft is marked 6. The line on the upper surface of the insert is marked 1 and is shorter in length than the line on the lower surface of the insert marked 2. The maximum distance between the lines is marked 4.

A line is geometrically defined as a two dimensional object. When the line marked on the upper surface of the transparent insert is aligned with the line marked on the lower surface of the transparent insert only one line will be visible and this line is known as a parallax line. A parallax line is a geometrically defined as a three dimensional object. Thus, a parallax line on the present invention will give the golfer more accurate feedback than a putter marked with one or more lines or other two dimensional indicia.

The transparent insert could be any shape which has a flat upper surface and a flat lower surface and is always mounted at the back of the putter. A wedge shaped insert is chosen and illustrated on the attached drawings by FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The insert would normally be made of any transparent or other material with similar optical properties such as acrylic, glass, plastic, resin, etc.

The two lines are strategically marked above and below the dead center of the putter head and separated by a gap (marked 4 on FIG. 3). When these two lines are in perfect alignment the golfer will be able to locate the dead center of the putter head with accuracy and can consistently set up to strike the golf ball from the sweet spot.

If the golfer has taken care to pick out the correct target line and placed the putter head so that it is perfectly square to the target line with the parallax line centered on the golf ball, the golfer will now see an accurate representation of part of the target line on the insert in front of him. The golfer will therefore be able to start the ball along the correct target line, every time.

The parallax line will always force the golfer to set up in the same starting position for different length putts. Consistency in putting stems from consistent starting positions.

The fact that the insert is always mounted on the back of the putter head adds another useful feature to the invention. A golfer's caddy (or playing partner) can use the parallax line on the present invention to help the golfer with setting the putter head on the correct target line, every time. The golfer sets the putter head on what the golfer perceives to be the correct target line. The caddy then stands away from the golfer, directly behind the target line so that the caddy can see the back of the putter head, the transparent insert, the ball, the target line to the hole and the hole, itself. The caddy is in a better position than the golfer to see if the putter head is set correctly on the target line to the hole. The caddy just bends lower and as he does so the lines on the insert will come together. If the two lines do not overlap perfectly to form a single parallax line that is pointing down the target line then the putter head is not square to the target line. The caddy can then instruct the golfer to make corrective adjustments. In this way the caddy can ensure that the putter head is always perfectly square to the intended target line. 

1. A golf putter head comprising a transparent insert mounted at the back of the putter head with lines or indicia printed or etched on more than one surface which may be aligned by the golfer to achieve a good putting stroke. 1.1 A golf putter head according to claim 1 wherein the lines or indicia are printed or etched above and below the sweet spot on the putter head for accurate location of the sweet spot by the golfer. 1.2 A golf putter head according to claim 1 for accurate putter head alignment to the intended target line by the golfer. 1.3 A golf putter head according to claim 1 for consistent head and body positioning of the golfer for different length putts.
 2. A golf putter head comprising a transparent insert mounted at the back of the putter head with lines or indicia printed or etched on more than one surface which may be aligned with the help of a caddy or a golfer's playing partner so that the golfer can achieve a good putting stroke. 2.1 A golf putter head according to claim 2 wherein the lines or indicia are printed or etched above and below the sweet spot on the putter head for accurate location of the sweet spot by the golfer with the help of a caddy or a golfer's playing partner. 2.2 A golf putter head according to claim 2 for accurate putter head alignment to the intended target line with the help of a caddy or a golfer's playing partner. 